Neutral beam injectors for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor

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Abstract
The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) has been proposed as the next major step in the development of fusion power [International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), Establishment of ITER: Relevant Documents, International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (1988)]. During the Conceptual Design Activity, deuterium neutral beams were chosen for heating, driving current, and controlling the current profile in the central region of the ITER plasma. In order to penetrate to the center of the ITER plasma, an energy of 1.3 MeV is required, an order of magnitude higher than in existing neutral beam systems. The neutral beam system must deliver 75 MW of D0 to the plasma, with a pulse length that ultimately will reach two weeks. The neutral injection system will consist of nine modules, and will be based on D− ion sources and novel high‐current dc accelerators optimized for flexible operation and control of breakdowns. The negative ions can be converted to neutrals in gas or plasma targets, with a resulting system efficiency of 40% to 50%. The successful development and operation of neutral beam injectors for ITER will be a major step toward the application of neutral beams on power reactors.